Equine Assisted Learning

At Mandalay Farms, we believe you have the power to LEARN, you have the power to GROW and you have the power to CHANGE.

Through our Unbridled Power (equine assisted learning) program we offer the opportunity to experience the powerful and life-changing moment of self-discovery, connection with others and development of essential life skills; utilizing horses as the teachers.

What is Equine Assisted Learning (EAL)?

Equine-assisted learning (EAL) is an experiential learning approach that promotes the development of essential life skills through groundwork activities using horses as the teacher.

Why Horses?

Horses are 100% focused on the present. Unlike humans, they don’t dwell in the past or worry about the future. Just being around them can help us to focus, slow down and become present and better attuned to ourselves, our environment and those around us.

Horses follow a unique herd mentality and use of mostly non-verbal communication.

Understanding how to communicate intention, while motivating and setting boundaries with a 1,000+ lb flight animal, teaches us how to best approach conflict and gain greater respect and cooperation from those around us.

What can we learn from horses?

Horses are prey animals and have a heightened sense of flight behavior that is instinctual to their survival. Because of this horses are sensitive to the stimulus of each participant. They react to the stimulus through body language and participants must adjust their feelings and behaviors appropriately in order to work successfully with the horses. Utilizing objectively driven exercises involving the horses, participants learn critical life skills and develop a heightened self-awareness that has parallels to their everyday lives. Self-awareness can reveal patterns of negative behavior and gives participants the opportunity to think in a new way, while improving non-verbal body language that may be negatively impacting them in their everyday life.

Since 90% of our communication is non-verbal, it is necessary to learn the art of tuning in to those around us.

Mandalay Farms offers certified EAL workshops with trained facilitators for at-risk youth, women and corporate clients.

Through learning to work with a powerful 1,200+ pound animal participants will gain self-esteem, self-confidence and critical life skills.